Manny Showers During Dramatic Ninth

Doing his best Nero, Manny showered while the Dodgers lost

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PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 19: Manny Ramirez #99 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after he fouled a ball off of his foot in the top of the sixth inning against of the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Four of the NLCS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park on October 19, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

"I was taking a shower," Ramirez said. "I came out and I saw it on television. Then everybody started coming in and they turned off the television.”

Ramirez, despite making one impressive defensive play in the sixth inning, had been pulled in the bottom of the ninth for the better glove of Juan Pierre. So Manny thought this would be a good time to get in a little personal hygiene, rather than hang out with his teammates on what looked like the franchise’s biggest step in two decades. One that turned into one of the their biggest disappointments.

There’s a reason people have been saying that’s “Manny being Manny” since long before he came to Los Angeles. And the Dodgers players just kind of accept that, even in the playoffs.

"As we say, Manny is Manny. He's a cool customer. But he certainly didn't have any lack of respect because of that. I think the way it turned out, it probably doesn't look good. But it's nothing different than he had done before," Joe Torre said.

By Tuesday afternoon Ramirez was laughing and joking during the Dodgers batting practice. He even played a little shortstop, watched some Anchorman on the clubhouse televisions, and talked with reporters where he did not seem all that distraught.

You could argue that’s because he’s been here before. Even worse, really. He was on that 2004 Red Sox team that was down 3-0 and came back to win that series in dramatic fashion, and eventually the World Series. He knows what it takes to come back.

But really, that’s not it. This is just who Manny is. Complaining about Manny’s antics now is like buying a house near LAX then complaining about all the flight noise. People do that, but it says more about them than the situation.

If the Dodgers are going to have a comeback for the ages in this series, they are going to need Manny. They need him to continue like he has the last two games — 4 for 7 with a run scored — and maybe add a long ball or two. If he can throw in a defensive gem again, that would be a welcome but unexpected surprise.